Silkie thread!

[tomphot]

I have 2 Silkies in my flock of 8. After posting some pics on the what sex do I have thread, I was resigned to thinking I had a pair, not 2 pullets. The suspect bird has always held itself high, has as much of a strut as a Silkie can and has developed some decent head gear. Here are pics when younger and today as well as the eggs they laid today.

 

[Sylvester017]

I haven't got mine yet I cannot wait this will be my 1st breed to my new f!Ock ! I have heard that they will sit on other chickens eggs?If so I'm just not sure on how you breed say silkies roo when female's could be polish or frizzle can someone clear that up?

GL with your intended new Silkies! The only way to keep breeds from cross-breeding and for keeping offspring pure is to isolate the breeds in separate enclosures if you don't want your roo cross-breeding with your Polish or Frizzles. Lots of breeders keep their roo in a separate enclosure until ready to introduce him to specific hens. If you are not breeding to sell chicks and eating your own fertilized hen eggs then it doesn't matter who the roo breeds with in an open flock. I personally don't like eating fertilized eggs but since I'm not zoned for roos it's a moot point for me -- none of our eggs are fertilized.

 

[Sylvester017]

So she is Partridge and thats brown/black? Also what makes some of their crest so big? I have to trim it or it gets ice!

She is so cute! I LUV Partridge! Each owner decides for themselves what works best for their Silkies. All of us live in different weather regions and do what works best for our birds. I personally don't trim feathers on ANY of my breeds but we live in a hot climate where we never get freezing temps. For some reason with my two Silkie hens, they never have problems with crests and actually trim each other's eye fluff so they can see better! The only problem I have with my Silkies' crests is when they forage and get mud or debris caught in their "hair."

 

[Sylvester017]

I want a partridge silkie now seeing all those pics. >.< Might have to go back to the breeder and get a blue and a partridge. So much for my only 2 silkies (currently 4 now).

Don't get too many Silkies unless you don't mind all of them going broody at once -- which can happen -- and often LOL! So glad you are enjoying Silkies!

 

[PaulaMc]

Hi Guys

Worried about my mini silkie, Bridget. Was bathing her today and noticed this growth on her face and a multi-coloured wattle. Any ideas please?

Hi all

Have been reconciled by some lovely peeps on here that Bridget has not got head cancer and that this is normal. Could you Silkie experts please confirm? Thanks so much.

 

[Sylvester017]

That's just nuts. I don't understand it. Although hey, there is always bribery. Haha your neighbors don't complain they get free eggs. My family might be moving and we're only looking in towns that let me have my chickens and ducks. I understand having rules about chickens if you have less than .5 acres but more than that I don't think it should matter.

Bribing neighbors with free eggs can get one in trouble too if the neighbor is a crackpot to report it. Some regions don't allow backyard eggs to be distributed so if one doesn't get in trouble for being reported on noise, one could get in trouble for distributing backyard eggs. At one time backyard flocks were considered a way to keep breeds from going extinct and for families to raise their own food but now that the poultry industries have profitably soared in the last couple decades they want to eliminate backyard competition and have authorities in their pocket to blame backyard flocks as disease carriers and smelly nuisances when it's the industrial poultry farms where the reported diseases and foul conditions are found.

 

[Goosegrrl]

She is fine... the strange color you worry about is just her lovely ear lobes, the comb growth... well, silkies have sometimes gnarly looking mulberry combs.

She is adorable, and in no way "abnormal".

 

[PaulaMc]

She is fine... the strange color you worry about is just her lovely ear lobes, the comb growth... well, silkies have sometimes gnarly looking mulberry combs.

She is adorable, and in no way "abnormal".

Oh thank you so much. I only adopted her and the other 2 a few months ago as they needed new homes so had not researched. When I bathed her today and got up close I thought she had a tumour! Can calm down now and breathe ha ha. Thanks again love x

 

[Goosegrrl]

I have a not so refined group of Silkies... I probably should have had more patience before purchasing them, but I never intended them to be anything other than pets and broodies for my other chooks.
They have stolen my heart!

Obviously from a very MIXED pen, I was looking for partridges or blue partridges, and all I found after a couple of months was a small group of "3 partridge 2 splash" chicks.
What I actually got was one Barred with leaky red. (very pale skin/eye)
One Spalsh with leaky partridge.
Two silver partridge with paleish skin/eye (I'm blaming the barred in the pen). I actually love this color, but wish the skin and eye was darker.
And one partridge leaning heavy to red. No black chest.

Lou, my barred (leaky red) roo... He is the sweetest! He begs for cuddles.
Next to him is one of the Silver Parts.


Here is the whole crew, along with a few of my regular crew(Spangled OEGBs and SS).
R to L: Lou the barred roo, Pepsi a bad example of a partridge, Pippin and Pepper the Silver pair(some ppl call this Moorehead?), and Shushu who is extraordinarily fluffy and nice splash(for such mixed heritage) with some partridge leaking in there.



These guys have inspired me to actually get some nicer quality Silkies/Showgirls.
My preferred color is still partridge or blue partridge... and the silvers. But I do love the Splash look.
These mixed up heritage kids will have a forever home here as sweet lap sitters and yard peckers.
But trust me... Lou will not be fathering any chicks! I kinda hope he becomes one of those great silkie dads I've read about.

 

[PaulaMc]

What age do silkies start to develop their comb please? Bridget is the only 1 of my 3 who seems to have one and she is the smallest. As I have said, not sure of their age. Many thanks.